The Central University of Punjab, under the esteemed patronage of Vice chancellor Prof. Dr. Raghavendra P. Tiwari, successfully organised an invited talk titled ‘Language and Culture Interface’ by Dr Panchanan Mohanty, honorary professor, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad and retd. professor in applied linguistics at University of Hyderabad.
The talk was the first in a series of Invited Lectures organised to celebrate Central University of Punjab’ Foundation Week. In his talk, Prof. Mohanty focused on how language and culture intertwine with each other influencing identity and tradition, and how one defines the other.
The lecture underlined the role of language beyond a tool of communication, and as a cultural repository preserving traditions, identity and history. Prof. Mohanty also highlighted the importance of promoting various regional languages in India and lamented the rapidly decreasing currency of the same due to the increasing preference of English.
He also identified linguistic similarities between languages spoken in the northern and southern parts of India, thus hinting at a rich, shared history. The expert ended the lecture by exploring the role of literature and poetics in preserving language and calling for preservation of indigenous languages of India.
In attendance were faculty members, research scholars and students from various departments of the Central University of Punjab- all enriched by the dynamic insights by Dr Mohanty. Prof. Shahila Zafar, department of English, formally welcomed the gathering, and Prof. Sanjeev Thakur, Dean, Sudents’ Welfare, proposed a vote of thanks.